A Celebration Worth Remembering
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04 I OPINION THE GLOBE AND MAIL I SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 I THE GLOBE AND MAIL OPINION I 09 Remembrance 'fl-IE P1\ll'TY ()F \:VORl(ING PE()PLE Day can have a painful effect on I IAS FOil l)[Ct\l)ES Ill]]\ \1VOilSE children from military fan1ilies Trump 1\'l' 'l'OUCHll\(� HE�t\ll'l'S 1\Nl) • Trump ELLEN CLARK 1 IS i\lINl)S TH1\\T 'l'HE CONSER.\'A' l'I\ E .OPINION T Writer who grew up in a military doing Pi\Irr, ()F 11vs[\ESS family and is currently working lo creates complete her undergraduate studies in Toronto RUMOURS OF exactly emembrance Day ceremo THEDEATHOF nies are solemn, if boring, his own Raffairs for elementary and w h a t POPULISMHAVE high-school students. For most, they provide an excuse to leave BEEN MUCH the classroom for 45 minutes. El ect· Ions But to those intimately connect he EXAGGERATED ed to the military, these ceremo rea ity nies take on another purpose: as a ritual that forces them to rumi said nate on what was, or could po are won tentially be, the worst moments of their lives. The U.S. clearly remains If you have grown up in a mil-· he itary family as I have, you know the pain associated with having in a great democracy someone you care about de would the ployed, and the anxiety of won dering whether you will see alas, longer a them again. Remembrance Day but, no ceremonies, with their images of do coffins and shattered families, centre model liberal democracy bring these feelings to the fore front. Remember those times, they tell the children. The nights you worried and dreamt of a loved one dying; or worse, the day you fow1d out they were dead. Relive them. Wallow in them. And Democracy is thriving in America think of the countless others to whom they happened also. Now hold in your tears, child. Your friends can't see you cry. For a ceremony that is sup posed to be a caution against vi olence, this outcome runs coun Insights from The Globe's election roundtable: ter to its core message. There are no physical blows present to be The Netherlands' Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander pay their respects during a wreath-laying ceremony for National Remembrance sure, but anxiety and grief can be Day on May 4 in Amsterdam. MISCHA SCHOEMAKER/ANP/AFP VIA GETIY IMAGES Five experts offer their perspective on the U.S. presidential just as painful; especially when you are young and have to bear election, the state of American democracy and the future of those emotions alone. And here some will rightly counter: Is this not the point of politics in a country divided Remembrance Day? To remedy A CELEBRATION that sense of isolation? To bring people together and share in a • OPINION 2016 and 2020 are more similar PRESTON: Though I'm still always JOHNSTON:Trumpism will contin tags efficiently. Democrats need collective grief? than anticipated. I am dis shocked by Trump, nothing ue because Trump is the symp to teach people how much they When it was first introduced, WORTH REMEMBERING TIMOTHY GARTON ASH is professor appointed more Americans actually surprises me about his tom, not the civic disease of an are taxed to subsidize big busi yes. And in ceremonies where all of European Studies al Oxford don't recognize the risks Trump behaviour any more. Election increasingly corporatist society. ness and wealthy individuals, who attend have a personalcon Canadians should look to the Netherlands forinspiration on more meaningful ways University, a Senior Fellow al the poses to our democracy. night was standard Trump The infamous 1971 Powell memo cutting into money for programs nection to war and death, then Hoover Institution, Stanford erratic and unhinged, but none urged corporate leaders to bring that benefitthem or lower tax perhaps this is the case. to commemorate our soldiers' efforts during the Second World War University, and the author of Free DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: That Trump theless strategically shrewd. the news media to heel while burdens. But in public schools, the cere World: America, Europe & the got millions more votes than in blunting civic, consumer, labour mony remains only to serve a Surprising Future of the West. 2016, despite having misman LEPORE: Trump is doing exactly and social-justice organizations, GARTON ASH: That elections are bureaucratic function; an anti KAREN HUNTER the annual trek. Thousands are turned aged the pandemic, contrib what he said he would do. There's recommendations the business won in the centre. That the quated tradition for a bygone away. Plans are under way to relaunch BRUCE HEYMAN was the U.S. uting to more than 300,000 nothing remotely surprising community successfully imple Democrats can't count on always time that has real, harmful con Remembrance in Canada this event next summer. ambassador lo Canada from 2014 lo extra deaths, was surprising. about it mented. My worry is about a having the Hispanic/Latinx vote. sequences for the very children it .OPINION needs to be redefined and Fall in the Netherlands is a time to 2017. He is the co-author of The Ari Voters also re-elected most of future political leader who has That all of us, small-I liberals, is meant to support. re-energized; it needs to be as commemorate the Battle of the Scheidt of Diplomacy: Strengthening the the Republican senators who GARTON ASH: Frankly, unprintable Trump's charisma but is also a need a much deeper, more rad Because presentations of po Founder of the not-for-profits In Our Fathers' much about the future as it is and Operation Market Garden. Canada-U.S. Relationship in Times of chose to become politicaljellyf in a family newspaper. This was competent executive, hard ical renewal of liberalism. ems and videos illustrating war Footsteps and The Canadian Remembrance In September, the Light Route in Eind Uncertainty. ish - blind, spineless and adrift the most shocking thing I have working, steeped in philosophy fare do not aid children in under Torch.She is the daughter of a Second World about the past. It needs to be hoven honours, by lights placed in resi in waves of Trumpian chaos. heard from the mouth of an and focused on using the Amer HEYMAN: While participation in standing the realities of war; nor, War veteran. more frequent, more engaging, dents' windows, the Liberation forces DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, a Pulitzer American president, certainly ican government to eviscerate our election was robust, too I would argue, is this something more joyful. More creative, who were welcomed there in 1944. Since Prize-winning investigative reporter If not outright wrong, many polls since Richard Nixon. It means the liberties of the people while many people triedto hurt our we even want to have happen. hen it comes to honouring then, lights in every shape and size trans and editor-in-chief al DCReporl.org, underestimated Donald Trump's millions of Trump voters will favouringbusiness. election through their actions School children are not capable Canada's Second World War more participative, more form the city annually in remembrance. wrote The Making of Donald Trump chances. Is it time to rethink our probably go on denying the basic and language. We need to protect of processing these kinds of trau veterans and war dead, the inclusive. And, most important, Even on Christmas Eve, the Dutch re and /f's Even Worse Than You Think: obsession with polls? legitimacy of a Biden presidency. PRESTON: It's here to stay, at least our postal system from interfe matic experiences. We should be Dutch set the gold standard. more celebratory. member our soldiers. In solemn twilight, What the Trump Administration Is for the next little while. The GOP rence. We need to also develop thankful, therefore, that most WCanada would do well to claim bronze. schoolchildren place glowing candles at 0o;ng to Amer;ca. His book on PRESTON: Most definitely.Polling JOHNSTON: Donald Trump creates will have trouble exorcizing it processes that allow people to kids shrug off the messages of Not that remembrance is a competition, every Canadian soldier's grave. Like their Trump's money and taxeswill be now skews the actual outcome his own reality. His declaration of from their soul,but they'll have vote easily and safely while these ceremonies as soon as they but like the Olympics, mastery reflects na parents, these children attribute their published next year. by either encouraging or dis victory and his baseless charges of to because who else can wield securing protections frombad reach the gymnasium door. tional pride, focused effort and unwa freedom and peace to the Allied sacrifice couraging people from turning election frauddemonstrate his Trumpism but Trump? We'll see actors. But for those children who vering commitment to keep the flame and know the importance of keeping re JILL LEPORE is a professor of out to vote because the polls utter disregard for the American if he fades like Sarah Palin, but I have lived through their family burning. membrance alive. Across the country, 110 American history at Harvard seem to tell them it's all but Constitution, which his own doubt it. Will he now try to set up members leaving for months at a In the Netherlands, every day is a re communities participate in this heartfelt University and a staffwriter at The decided. statements show he doesn't one of his kids? What do the results tell you about time, or have had someone they membrance day.